CHARLESTON — A lengthy weather delay caused the postponement of several events on Day 1 of the West Virginia High School Track and Field Championships at University of Charleston Stadium.
The event entered a delay at 6:00pm when severe storms rolled through the capital city. Six field events scheduled for Friday evening have been postponed to Saturday afternoon. The entire Saturday schedule has been delayed by one hour. Running events will begin at 11:00am. Field events open at 10:00am.
At press time, Cabell Midland leads in the boys Class AAA competition with 22 points. Wheeling Park holds a slim lead in the girls Class AAA division, as the Patriots own an 18-16 edge on Morgantown.
Defending state champion Bridgeport holds a narrow 27-24 lead on Winfield. The Indians edged the Generals in the shuttle hurdle relay. The Indians’ team of Lillian Iaquinta, Payton Hefner, Anaiya Jackson and Emily Meade won in a time of 1:06.41.
The Fairmont Senior boys jumped out to an early lead in Class AA by earning victories in a pair of relays. The Polar Bears team of Tyler Hayes, Caleb Carlson, Ethan Kincell and Tavian Richardson won in a time of 8:17.76. Their shuttle hurdle relay team of Connor Rush, Cam Longwell, John Smith and Daxx Leonard also claimed a title with a winning time of 56.67.
Doddridge County owned the lead late on day one thanks in large part to their performance in the pole vault. Reese Burnside cleared 14 feet to win. Fellow Bulldog Dawson Evans was the runner-up, clearing 12 feet on his second attempt.
Ritchie County owns the lead in the Class A girls competition. The Rebels rallied with a strong anchor leg to win the shuttle hurdle relay. The team of Kailey Dwire, Abi Caught, Presley Johnson and Olivia Cress crossed the line first in a time of 1.06.19. Cress, a freshman, won the high jump with a height of five feet, two inches.
Both of the Class AAA throwing events were held in the opening hours of the meet. Cabell Midland senior Gavin Beverage put on a show in the shot put. His final throw was his best at 65 feet, 10 1/2 inches. Beverage broke the state meet record set by Ricky Barnes of Saint Albans in 1984.
“It means a lot knowing it is my last high school meet in West Virginia. It was a huge PR (personal record). I am just really ecstatic to get that win.”
Five of Beverage’s six throws cleared Barnes’ mark of 61 feet, 7 inches. Chalk lines in the pit were specially drawn to mark Barnes’ record.
“I tried not to pay attention to it. I just tried to close out my mind and do what I do,” Beverage said.
Beverage was also the runner-up in the discus. He will compete at UC-Riverside next year.
The throwers then shifted to discus, where Hampshire senior John Hicks took the title with a winning toss of 179 feet, 4 inches. Hicks narrowly missed the state meet record, also held by Randy Barnes, but just over two feet. Earlier this season, the future Liberty University athlete cleared 190 feet in a meet at Spring Mills High School.
“I am pretty pleased with it. I really wanted the state meet record. I hadn’t been throwing shot too hot in the last few weeks so I just focused on discus. Overall, it was a pretty decent day.”
Hicks also finished fifth in the shot put. Spring Valley senior and Virginia Tech football signee Doug Nester was the runner-up in the shot put and finished third in the discus.
